Trouble And Strife In The USA - Rock Sound, October 1999

Manic Street Preachers suffered a new disaster in America last month. Their second date at the Bowery Ballroom was cancelled due to James Dean Bradfield suffering laryngitis. Unfortunately the announcement was made 15 minutes before they were due on Stage in front of a capacity crowd who furiously jeered the band. The following night's show at Boston was also cancelled. However the band resumed their tour in Detroit and continued for six more shows, culminating in LA. It's the latest in a catalogue of misfortunes. In 1995 Richey Edwards disappeared the day before they
were due to embark on a US tour, in '96 their tour with Oasis fell apart after Noel Gallagher
quit and last year's album 'This Is My Truth, Tell Me Yours' was only released in America this year after the band changed labels.So far it's sold less than 15,000 copies. Rock Sound interviewed bassist Nicky Wire on the morning of the show about America and their plans for the future.

rs: Do you feel that the Manics are coming to an end?
"Well, quitting the band is an option that we all have. I don't think that there is much longer left in us. We just want to make our next record so fantastic. If the next record is like we hope it will be, then you just think to yourself that it would be a nice way to go out. It's going to be a radical departure. If you look at 'Gold Against The Soul' and 'Generation Terrorists' then 'The Holy Bible' came, which was like no relation. I think 'Everything Must Go' and 'This Is My Truth ' have a lot of things in common. And the next album won't be like 'The Holy Bible' in terms of music but it will be in the sense of a radical departure."

rs: Do you get annoyed with people suggesting you're AOR now, a British Bon Jovi?
"It annoys James a lot. But I think if anything is anthemic you will get comparisons like that. James has so many references to Freddie Mercury's voice that it gets him down. I don't think 'Everything Must Go' is anything like Bon Jovi. With our next album they won't say that.

rs: How do you feel about Richey now?

"It's too complicated. I can think of him coming home and having a cup of tea but I can't think of him doing something with the group. I can't comprehend that. It would be so complicated. It's nothing to do with the friendship side. It would just be weird. Could he still play that badly? I know that fans and reporters see these big tragic messes as the best people on earth. But to be around them 24 hours a day is a gigantic pain in the arse. It's disturbing as well. There is only so much of it I think you can take. Something has to give. Look at Kurt Cobain. As much as I loved Kurt and everything he stood for at the end of the day he kinda left his wife and baby."

rs: You slagged NME from the stage last night. Is this because they've accused Stereophonics and the Welsh of racism?
"It was kinda meant to be a bit of humour really, saying the thought police are in town'. It's just so unbelievable - they said that if you've got a Welsh flag you're kind of a new Jew. Talk about going over the top! We are used to criticism and piss taking but that wasn't us particularly with the flag stuff. It was more Stereophonics. But it's not our fault that people like our flag. Even then there is all the baggage of racism with it. England is an inspiration to me. All of the UK, all of Europe. I am an internationalist. I always have been. The flag thing, it's just fun."